Outlaw Ned Kelly's headless remains to be dug up

Ned Kelly remains one of the world's most notorious outlaws, but despite being...

13:41 04 August 2012

Ned Kelly remains one of the world's most notorious outlaws, but despite being executed in 1880 his story hasn't finished yet. His remains are to be returned to his descendants. 

 

The headless corpse will be exhumed and then reburied by his family 132 years after his execution. 

 

Australian Ned Kelly was executed in 1880, aged 25, after evading police for a few years. 

 

Stories of his exploits have been ripe in the nation's history books and Kelly has been played on screen by actors as diverse as Heath Ledger and Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger. 

 

Australia's Victoria state government has issued a new exhumation licence for Kelly's remains, which means that a property developer behind the Pentridge Prison site where the skeleton lies will be forced to hand over the rotted remains. This goes against the wishes of developer who hoped to centre a museum or memorial on the site. 

 

"The Kelly family will now make arrangements for Ned's final burial," said Ellen Hollow, the great grand-daughter of Kelly's sister Kate Kelly as quoted in The Telegraph.

 

Despite being known as a cold-blooded killer, Kelly gained folk hero status largely due to his stance as pro Irish-Australian in the face of British authorities. Kelly and his gang were the subject of a bounty of £8000 - the largest reward ever proposed by the British Empire at the time - for anyone who handed him in. 

 

He was hanged at Old Melbourne Gaol but his body went missing after it was thrown into a mass grave.

 

Kelly's remains were formally identified last year, despite missing the head. 

 

"We appeal to the person who has the skull in their possession to return it," said Ms Hollow in a family statement.